Device for securing handles to tools



(No Model.)

I. L. LANDIS. DEVICE FOR SECURING HANDLES T0 TOOLS.

No. 450,944. Patented'Apr. 21, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISRAEL Ii. LANDIS, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR SECURING HANDLES TO TOOLS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,944, dated April21, 1891.

Application filed September 27, 1890. Serial No. 366,416. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISRAEL L. LANDIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Securing Handles to Tools, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofinyimproved device; Fig. 2,a vertical sectional view taken on the linea: m of Fig. 1.

The invention is designed to provide an extremely simple and cheapdevice for effectually securing in their sockets the handles of axes,hammers, hatchets, and other tools; and it consists in certain novelfeatures of construction that will fully hereinafter appear, and beparticularlypointed out in the claims appended.

In the drawings annexed, the letter a designates the body of the device,which is adapted to be driven into the helve after the same is insertedin the eye of the tool, and which is provided with a cap or flange Z) atits upper end to fit over and cover the end of the handle when thedevice is driven home. The body a is formed wedge-shaped in verticalsection, its lower edge being sharpened to readily enter the wood of thehandle. This body a is cast or drop-forged into a corrugated or Sshapein cross-section at its upper end, and is gradually flattened outtoward the lower entering edge, which latter is preterably straight. Thevertical edges of the S-shaped body are turned in opposite directionsand provided throughout the greater portion of their length with teethor serrations cl, which serve to engage the fiber of the handle andassist in preventing the jarring loose of the device.

The body of the device is provided with one or more vertical series ofapertures c, the lower edges of these apertures being approximately atright angles to the body of the wedge, while the upper edges or walls ofthe holes are beveled or cut away at '0', whereby when the deviceisdriven into the wood the upper edges of the holes will offer little orno resistance, permitting the wedge to pass in without unduly injuringthe fiber, and the lower edges of the holes will form positive abutmentsagainst its withdrawal, the natural expansion of the wood causing thesame to fill into the holes, as is evident. By arranging the holes invertical series, as shown, they assist each other in preventingwithdrawal of the wedge.

The advantage in forming the body S- shaped in cross-section andgradually flattening it toward its cutting-edge is apparent, as it willserve to give the wedge a vertical twisting motion as it is driven intothe helve, thereby serving to very securely bind it in the wood. Thistwisting action will also serve to force the serrations on thelongitudinal edges of the Wedge into the adjacent fiber of the wood,these edges being turned in opposite directions for this purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is l. Atool-handle wedge consisting of a body formed wedge-shaped in verticalsection and S-shaped in cross-section, the wavy corrugations formed bythe S shape gradually diminishing in depth toward the edge, which isapproximately flat and straight, whereby when the wedge is driven intothe wood its initial cut will be approximately straight, substantiallyas described.

2. The wedge-shaped body formed S-shaped in cross-section and graduallyflattened toward its entering edge and provided with serrations alongits vertical edges, substantially as described.

Awedge for tool-handles, consisting of a body portion a, provided with acap-piece a at its upper end and formed wedge-shaped in verticalsection, this body being formed S- shaped in cross-section and havingits oppositely-turned vertical edges provided with notches, as and forthe purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ISRAEL L. LANDIS. Witnesses:

O. D. DAVIS, O. M. ALEXANDER.

